Abstract
SummaryGorteria diffusahas elaborate petal spots that attract male bee-fly pollinators through sexual deception but the genetic basis ofG. diffusapetal spot development is currently unknown. Here we investigate the regulation of pigmentation during spot formation.We used UHPLC-MS/MS to determine the anthocyanin composition of spots and background pigmentation inG. diffusa. Combining gene expression analysis with protein interaction assays we characterised three R2R3-MYB genes regulating anthocyanin production inG. diffusaspots.We found that cyanidin 3-glucoside pigmentsG. diffusaray floret petals. Unlike other petal regions, spots contain a high proportion of malonylated anthocyanin. We identified three paralogous subgroup 6 R2R3-MYB transcription factors that activate the production of petal spot pigmentation. The corresponding genes are upregulated in developing spots and induce ectopic anthocyanin production upon heterologous expression in tobacco. EMSAs and dual luciferase assays suggest that these transcription factors regulate genes encoding three anthocyanin synthesis enzymes: anthocyanidin synthase (GdANS), dihydroflavonol reductase (GdDFR) and malonyl transferase (GdMAT1), accounting for the spot-specific production of malonylated pigments.Here we provide the first molecular characterisation ofG. diffusaspot development, showing that the elaboration of complex spots begins with accumulation of malonylated pigments at the base of ray floret petals, positively regulated by three subgroup 6 R2R3-MYB transcription factors.
Publisher
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Cited by
1 articles.
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